The piano is an instrument that can give you many sounds, moods and styles of music. Saskatoon concert pianist Samuel Deason is coming to Yorkton for a solo performance, part of the Stars for Saskatchewan series.
Solo piano is an intimate concert setting, Deason says, as there is just him and the piano performing for the crowd, but he says he’s bringing a wide range of sounds and moods to that setting.
“The music is really all over the place, from joyous, jubilant sounds, to more introspective, darker music to virtuosic extroverted music with explosions and things like that. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The variety of music means that Deason is going to perform both well known pieces as well as more obscure composers. He says part of the goal is for it to be an evening of discovery for the audience.
“I want to do things that the audience will like interesting and deeply rewarding to listen to... There’s no fun, in my opinion, in going to a concert where you’ve heard every single musical selection, because then it becomes predictable. But at the same time, there’s a reason why some of the world’s greatest music is performed repeatedly, because it’s good. I’m trying to craft the right balance and at the end of the day I just want the music selections to be captivating and interesting for everyone, regardless if they have a PhD in music or are going to a piano recital for the first time.”
While the performance is one man and an instrument, Deason believes that while the piano is a versatile instrument which can do many things, he says his job is to transcend the limitations of the instrument.
“The biggest weakness of the instrument is that it’s made of wood and iron and it’s a very up and down instrument... Something like the human voice is the most natural instrument in the world, you sing and music comes out naturally. What a pianist spends most of their life doing is trying to figure out ways to make a piano sound not like a piano. I think a piano sounds pretty boring, but it’s the music which really captivates.”
The life of a pianist involves doing many different things, and Deason is no exception, having performed with symphony orchestras as well as solo recitals like the one in Yorkton. He admits that with a symphony it can be easier, since it’s a more rehearsed environment with support from other musicians, but he also appreciates the freedom of a solo performance.
“What I like the most about solo playing is that, within the confines of good taste, one can do whatever they want. If there’s a particular sound, a particular voice I play and when I hear it in the moment, something very spontaneous can happen.”
Deason is recently back from the prestigious Hastings International Piano Competition. The competition was in an elimination format, with pianists taken out in each round, and Deason made it through all the rounds to take second prize.
“I didn’t really expect to get anything, I went there to play because I like to play... There was a performance Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, and that was a blast.”
Deason, originally from Saskatoon, says that he tries to come back to the province as much as possible, whether it’s to perform, teach, or judge music competitions.
Samuel Deason will be in Yorkton on March 31 at the Anne Portnuff Theatre as part of the Stars for Saskatchewan series. Tickets are available at the Arts Council office.
